Concerning forged digital likenesses.

More protection against digital impersonation

Beginning June 11, 2026, Washington expands rights over your name, voice, signature, photo, and likeness to cover digital fakes. Covered fakes are digitally made or changed images or audio of an identifiable person, including real-time versions. They must look or sound genuine, misrepresent the person's appearance, speech, or conduct, and likely fool a reasonable person. Protection covers uses without the right owner's express or implied consent in Washington commerce, advertising, fundraising, and donation requests. It also covers sharing those ads in Washington, even without a profit motive. Rights apply to living and deceased people regardless of where they live, and can be licensed, transferred, or inherited. These property rights do not expire at death. Covered deceased people include those who died within 10 years before January 1, 1998, or afterward. For people whose identity had commercial value at death, the window extends 50 years before that date or afterward. Protections cover periods before and after June 11, 1998. Right owners can seek court orders stopping unauthorized uses, plus $3,000, actual damages, and related profits not already counted. For digital fakes, they can also recover damages for nonfinancial harm, even when no profit was made. One work counts as one violation for statutory damages, regardless of copies or displays. Courts can seize offending materials during a lawsuit and order their destruction or disposal afterward. Winning parties can recover reasonable lawyer fees, expenses, and court costs; these remedies do not replace other available remedies.